The final ward-wise reservation list of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike was notified on Monday with changes to 22 wards from the draft notification issued on April 4. Mayor N. Shanthakumari joins the list of two other mayors who may not be able to contest.
The final notification comes in the wake of a High Court direction. It will be the first time that 50 per cent of the seats (99) will be reserved for women in the BBMP council.
The reservation, which is seen as “vendetta politics” by BJP councillors, who have lost the opportunity to contest, was notified after seeking objections.
The former Deputy Mayor S Harish, who represents Nagapura ward, is among the lucky sitting councillors. For, while the draft notification had reserved the ward for women (Backward Class B), the final notification reserves it for general category.
However, Ms. Shanthakumari was not lucky as the reservation of her ward Mudalapalya was changed from Backward Classes A (Woman) in the draft list to Backward Classes B in the final list.
Many BJP leaders have expressed their displeasure and questioned the basis on which the reservation list was prepared. BJP, which is pressing for polls as per schedule, is now in a fix.
The State Election Commission is working on a war footing to conduct the polls within May 30, as directed by the High Court.
Karnataka State Election Commissioner P N Sreenivasachary told The Hindu that they were working to issue the notification by this weekend.
